Renting Makes Robots Affordable for Work and Play

Robots are showing up in more places than ever — hospitals, farms, factories, and even weddings. But buying a robot can cost tens of thousands of dollars, putting them out of reach for many people and businesses. Now, a growing number of companies are offering robots for rent, so customers can use the latest technology without paying the full price up front. This new idea, called 'robotics-as-a-service,' is changing the way people think about robots.

One of the most well-known rental robots is Moxi, a friendly one-armed machine made by a Texas company called Diligent Robotics. Moxi is about four feet tall, has heart-shaped LED eyes, and rolls through hospital hallways delivering medical supplies to nurses and doctors. Nurses have been known to greet Moxi with a 'good morning,' a high five, or even a hug. Moxi often responds with a cheerful beep and a flash of its glowing eyes. 'We get a lot of feedback that Moxi feels like a part of the team,' says Todd Brugger, chief operating officer at Diligent Robotics, which has about 100 of these robots working in hospitals across the United States.

Hospitals don't buy Moxi — they rent it. The rental deal includes the robot itself, plus service, maintenance, and software upgrades. A human engineer in a remote control room is also available to step in if the robot needs help. Brugger says this setup lowers the cost for hospitals because they aren't paying the full price up front. He also points out that robot technology is improving so fast that renting makes it easy to keep up with the latest upgrades.

Robot rentals are available for many different purposes and time periods, from a single day to several years. People can rent robot bartenders, autonomous weeders for farms, and even humanoid robots — machines designed to look and act like people. Because humanoid robots are still being improved, they are usually rented for specific, well-defined tasks. Right now, that often means entertainment, such as dancing, singing, or greeting guests at weddings and corporate events.

Ethan Qi, an analyst at a research firm called Counterpoint Research, explains how a robot can learn to dance. A human dancer performs and is recorded on video, and that footage is used to train the robot. Even so, a human engineer usually travels with the robot just in case something goes wrong. Many of these dancing robot videos have become popular on social media, especially in China, which is currently a world leader in humanoid robots.

But robot rentals are moving beyond fun performances. A California company called 1X plans to start delivering a home helper robot named NEO later this year. Customers in the United States can either buy NEO outright for $20,000 or subscribe for $499 per month. This is especially important because robot technology is improving so quickly that a robot bought today could feel outdated in just a year or two. Dar Sleeper, a vice president at 1X, says the subscription option 'significantly lowers the upfront cost, making it affordable for far more people.'

Renting also means customers don't need to know how to fix or program the robots themselves. Analyst Ethan Qi notes that if you rent, you can always upgrade to the newest model when a better one comes out. If something goes wrong, renters simply contact the rental company for help. 'It helps to solve technical problems because customers don't know how to code the robots,' Qi says. This makes renting a practical choice for businesses and individuals who are new to robotics.

Industrial robots — the kind used in factories — are also being rented out. A Chicago company called Formic has more than 250 factory robots operating on a rental basis, and their flat monthly payment plan helps smaller companies that couldn't normally afford robots. If a robot arm breaks down, Formic replaces it at no extra cost. Some companies are also experimenting with pricing based on how much human labor the robot saves. Robot makers benefit too, since rentals let them test products in the real world and collect useful data.

China leads the world in humanoid robot rentals and has tried many creative uses for them, including placing robots in hotels to help train them for future home use. Several Chinese companies have begun offering robot rentals in other countries — Shanghai's Agibot says its humanoids can be rented in 17 nations, including the United Kingdom. Still, analyst Marco Wang believes outright purchases will remain common in China, partly because the government offers financial support to help companies buy robots. 'There are a lot of humanoid robot orders from Chinese state-owned companies and a lot of orders driven by subsidies,' he says.

Not everyone prefers to rent, of course. Some businesses may prefer to own their robots for the prestige, to study the technology closely, or simply because buying makes more financial sense for them in the long run. But as robots become more advanced and the market grows, renting offers a smart, flexible option for many people and organizations. For those who want to use cutting-edge robots without making a huge financial commitment, a rental may be just the right answer.